High-explosive compound and process of making same.



NITED STAT s Patented June 20, 1905.

' ATENT Fries.

HlGH-EXPLDSIVE COMPOUND AND PaooEss or Mame AME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patenfiflp, ff92,716, dated June20, 1965.

Application filed January 29,1905. shrial No. 141,065.

duce a high explosive and by an improved process of manufacture whichshall be so insensitive to percussion as to enable it to withstand theshock of penetrating armor-plate and an explosive which may be melted orfused over an ordinary water-bath and pen shells in a fused state, andan explos which shall on coolingcxpand slightly and set firmly upon andadhere to the walls of the projectile, and an explosive also which shallbe stable, non-hygroscopic, and capable of being stored for any lengthof time under various climatic conditions without undergoing chemicalchange.

I have discovered that although the melting-point of picric acid is 122and. that of dinitrophenol is 113 to 114 centigrade, if the two be mixedthe common melting-point is reduced to about 6!) centigradc, varyingslightly with the relative proportion of the ingredients. Thisphenomenon is duc'to the mutual chemical afiinity of the two homologoussubstances, which gives them a mutual tendency to enter into solutionfor the. purpose of more intimate union in exactly the same manner thata mixture of ice and salt will combine to form a liquid at a temperaturebelow that atwhich the ice normally remains a solid.

Picric acid contains one atom of oxygen more than it contains of carbon,the formula being UtHnN 301, while dinit o-phenOl contains one atom ofoxygen less than it contains'of carbon, its formula being OttliNzOt.Now, therefore, when picric acid is detonated in a strong steel shellwith a powerful detonator,

the carbon combines with the-oxygen, producing carbonic oxid, and as thetemperature is too high at the instant 0t detonation tor the i iexistence of the molecule of carbonicl'acid or the water molecule theproducts of combustion consist of carbonic oxid, free nitrogen, and.free hydrogen, together with any oxygen in a free state which may be inexcess of that necessary to the production of carbonic oxid.

' I have found by experimentthat when the carbOn'cO'ntent of theexplosive is equal or slightly in excess of the oxygen content thesensitiveness of the explosive is very much diequal quantity of bothcarbon and oxygen. and practice has confirmed this theory.- Comditiitro-phenol, and one in which the quantities of carbon and oxygen.balance each other, forms the most favorable compound for my purpose.tions of this compound within wide limits without departing from theinvention. example, fonfilling projectiles for quick-firing guns' ethatis to say, .projectiles of from one to six' inches in calibera largerpercentof dinitro-phenol is preferred, for the reason that the'shockupon the explosive both in the gun and upon armor-plate is not so greatin small shell as inv large shell, and it is not so ploder sufficientlypowerful for the detonaquired in projectiles from six to twel '1 inchesin caliber, while for field-shell of all calibers there is not requiredsuch an insensitive compound as that necessary to be employed againstarmor-plate.

In carrying out the invention I preferably prepare the picric acid andthe dinitro-phenol separately, and before washing to free of acid and topurify they are mixed in the proportions required for the finalproduct-say in the proportions of about fifty two parts picric acid toforty-eight parts dinitro-pl'ienol, and the mixture is then washed inwarm water, or water at a temperature slightly above the fusion-point ofthe compound. By this I may of course vary the proper-f For tion of anexplosive so insensitive as is re:

v minished, while theoretically that explosive; which shall produce thehighest results 'as a' shattering agent is one in which therelisansequently I have found that a compound con sisting of about fifty-twoparts, by weight, of pieric acid and forty-eight parts, by ugeightof ageof pici'ic acid and a smaller percentage practical to employ in suchsmall shell an exmeans a great advantage is secured and much time savedon account of the advantage of being able to wash the compound in aliquid state and with'lwater. After washing the supernatant liquid isallowed to cool to allow the explosive compound held in solution whenhot in excess of what the water willlhold when cold to crystallizefromsolutijo'n; This process of washing may be repeatedwith additionalwater until the compouud'is entirely purified. Neutralizers may also of;course be employed, if desired, to assist in the elimination of any freenitric or sulfuric acid.

What is claimed is i 1. Theprocess of purifying an explosive compound,which consists in combining two nitro compoundsfo'ne or. both of whichhas a melting-point above the boiling-point of water, to produce anexplosive compound having a meltingepoint below the melting-point ofwater, and then washing withwater of a temperature at or above thefusion-point of v es the explosive compound.v

A 1, 2. The process of purifying an explosive compound, consistingofuniting two or more =nitro compounds, each having amelting-point abovethe boiling-point of water, to' form an explosive compound having amelting-point below the boiling-point'of water, and washing theexplosive compound in a state of fusion with water of'a temperature ator above the melting-point of the explosive compound. 3. The processofimaking an explosive compound, consisting in heating a mixture ofpicric acid and dinitro-phenol in presence of water to a temperaturebelow the meltingpoint of each ingredient to melt the said mixture, andthen washing the same in water.

'4. The process of making an explosive compound, consisting in heating amixture of about fifty-two parts picric acid and fortyeight partsdinitro-phenol in presence ofwater to a temperature below themelting-point of each ingredient to melt the said mixture, and thenwashing the same in water.

7 5. The process of making an explosive compound, consisting in heatinga mixture of pieric acid and dinitro-phenol in presence of wa ter to atemperature below the melting-point of each ingredient to melt saidmixture, Washing the same in warm water and then cooling said wash-waterto separate out the explosive compound held in solution. I

6. An explosive compound, consisting of picric acid and dinitro-phenolassociated in solution with each other, the carbon andoxygen in said'mixture-being-su bstantially in the ratio of their atomic proportionsand the meltingpoint of the compound being less than that of either ofsaid ingredients.

In testimony whereof I, HnDsoN- MAXIM,

have signed this specification .in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

' HUDSON MAXIM.

Witnesses:

PHILIP MAURO, G. A. L. MASSIE.

